Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti, on Monday confirmed that the Indian armed forces did not target the nuclear facility at Kirana Hills in Pakistan.
Responding to a query during a press conference, Bharti said, “Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installation. We did not know about it… We have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there.”
Speculation and social media chatter have been rife with claims that India struck the Mushaf Airbase in Sargodha, reportedly linked to underground nuclear storage beneath the Kirana Hills, using loitering and penetrating munitions.
India has retaliated after Pakistan attempted to target 26 Indian locations, including air force bases in Udhampur, Pathankot, and Adampur, on the night of May 9–10.
Air Marshal AK Bharti highlighted the performance of indigenous air defense systems, saying, “Another highlight was the stellar performance of indigenous air defence weapons like the Akash system.”
He also emphasised the preparedness of Indian forces, saying, “All our military bases and systems continue to remain fully operational and ready to undertake any mission.”
At a joint press briefing on Sunday, Air Marshal AK Bharti presented visual evidence of damage to air defence radars, airfields, and other military installations at multiple locations across Pakistan.
The strikes targeted 11 Pakistani air bases, degrading the country’s military capabilities. Air Marshal Bharti confirmed that air defence radars in Pasrur, Chunian, and Arifwala were among those dismantled during the operations.
On Saturday, India and Pakistan announced an agreement to cease all firings and military actions on land, air, and sea, effective immediately.
India had launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7 and targeted nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.